Rock AND a Hard Space

Stone is a beautiful medium to work in. You can do a lot with stone, from placing rocks around your property for decoration to building pyramids. 

On the other hand, working with stone is complex enough that many people are convinced that aliens built the pyramids. One of the nice things about the modern world is we don’t have to work with stone when we create hardscaping; we can make our own. 

Concrete is a valuable and versatile material that we can use to build both horizontal and vertical spaces. It’s tough, protective, and can even be beautiful when done the right way. 

But if you think concrete is just for boring, grey sidewalks, Year Round Services will teach you a hard lesson. Kidding. It’ll be fun; that was just a concrete joke. 

What’s So Great About Concrete?

Every building material has pros and cons, but concrete is heavy on the pros. So what makes concrete a good building material? And specifically, why is concrete good for use in your yard and gardens? 

Even Though It’s Hard, It’s Easy!

The final concrete product is solid like a rock, but using it is easy!

Unlike the transport of other materials, concrete is much smaller before being brought to the building sites. In addition, since concrete is sold dry, it’s far easier to move before we add water, typically on-site. 

Working with mixed concrete is also easier than with many other materials because the concrete in its wet form is easily malleable and can be shaped into whatever you are trying to create. If you were using a material like wood or stone to create something similar, the construction process would be more complex and, therefore, more expensive.

Concrete lends itself exceptionally well to intricate designs. You can stamp wet concrete to look like bricks or cobblestone at a fraction of the cost of building with those materials. 

Plus, dyes allow you to match concrete to your home or create a new color that will complement it or stand out. 

Easy to Source – Economic and Ecologic

Concrete can be sourced just about anywhere since its composition materials are flexible. In addition, concrete prevents many materials from going to a landfill since they get incorporated into buildings instead of thrown away. 

Examples of materials diverted from landfills include tires, waste glass, and fly ash. Because concrete encases the additional materials, it makes no difference to the looks and feel of the final product but reduces construction waste. 

Because concrete has easy sourcing, it is cheaper than similar materials, so you end up saving in both labor and material costs. 

Tough and All Weather

Finally, concrete materials hold up to a beating. So they’re not going to deteriorate over time. 

With hardscaping and gardening, this is especially important. Concrete will not rot and does better with precipitation (and watering) than other materials. That’s why builders frequently use concrete in underwater construction. 

If it works in the ocean, it can stand toe to toe with your sprinklers!

In addition, concrete is a good insulator, so it will not raise the temperature of your flower beds to levels that aren’t healthy for your plants. 

How Can We Use Concrete Around Your Landscape?

Using concrete to enhance your backyard and create an outdoor living space is versatile and easy. Whether we’re talking about an addition to existing flowerbeds, or new architecture, concrete is the material for all over your property. 

Concrete Curbing As a Garden Bed Edge

Edging is very important for creating distinct lines between gardens and lawns. One can quickly run into the other without a border, diminishing both. The problem with most edges, though, is that they’re lines that blur over time. 

Concrete curbing eliminates that problem. 

If you create a garden edge with concrete, you can easily shape it to match your gardens’ contours. You can also color it to add an artistic flourish to your gardens or blend it with your mulch. 

More importantly, the edge will not fade. Not only is concrete more permanent than creating lines with an edger, but the heavy surface also creates a root barrier that is more difficult for grass and other plants to pass.

Retaining Walls and Seating Walls

Don’t try to fight gravity. It always wins…unless you have a heavy hitter in your corner.

Retaining walls allow you to keep gardens and hills in place. They are an excellent way to prevent erosion. Retaining walls can also be a feature in their own right as they can be designed to look however you like. 

Retaining walls can also be multitiered to add extra dimension and vertical interest to your gardens. Because of the tiers, you can choose to build seating into your retaining walls, creating additional space for your garden party guests.

Patios and Firepits

And speaking of garden parties, you can’t talk about hardscaping without also talking about patios and firepits, the center of any outdoor living space. 

Your patio can be a simple horizontal surface or a full-on outdoor room. Concrete makes it all possible. Your home adding an outdoor living space increases the property value like adding an extra room but is a far more affordable investment. 

Firepits are a great addition to your patio or as a standalone feature for your yard. Whether a simple space to gather and keep warm or a more elaborate cooking surface to host meals around, firepits continue to be a favorite for outdoor entertaining. 

Time to Cement Your Understanding

Concrete is such a versatile and economical material that there isn’t much you can’t do with it. Consequently, this blog has only named a few suggestions to get you started. So now you can let your imagination run wild to devise your hardscaping plan. 

Of course, if you’re looking for hardscaping in and around LA, you should always contact Year Round Services. We can help you design and install your outdoor living space and incorporate it with all your landscaping ideas. 

Whether you have a solid plan, a good idea, or no clue where to start, we’re the team you can trust to make it yours!